Sarens Lifts and Moves Massive Wind Farm Substation

Sarens moves a 2.922t Engie Fabricom substation onto barge for
transport to the North Sea

April 2017: Last month, in Hoboken,
Antwerp, the Sarens team of engineers and operators faced a special
mission: to move a massive wind farm substation weighing 2.922t
onto a Sarens barge set to sail for the North Sea, off Norfolk's
coast. Its destination: the Racebank wind farm, home to 91 x 6MW
154m Siemens wind turbines.

For this operation, Sarens brought its SPMTs in by truck,
unloading them with a crane. They were then assembled into a
configuration of four trains with 22 axles each, and driven
underneath the substation. Next, the team used load cells connected
to a computer to determine the substation's total weight and centre
of gravity.

While the SPMTs supported the weight of the substation,
Sarens rotated its barge into position so it could receive the
load. A winch and truck were used as the rotation point.

But moving the barge into position was just the beginning:
the challenge waskeepingit in position! The Sarens team had to
account for the river's tidal fluctuations and strong current,
making adjustments to ensure that the barge stayed level with the
quay. Because the river's tide rises and falls by several metres,
Sarens operators strategically pumped water in and out of the
ballast tanks to keep the barge aligned with the quay.

With everything finally in position, the SPMTs drove
aboard the barge. The substation was then safely secured, and the
SPMTs drove out from underneath the load and back on to the
quay.

With the substation onboard, the Sarens barge was ready for
transportation to the North Sea wind farm. Watch the complete video
here!

We're proud of the Sarens engineers and operators who made
this lift possible, and who are part of a long tradition of
excellence and innovation.